Jonathan foreman



E. W. POREMAN.

DIVING BELL.

- Patented Aug. 1853- 1H: flows PETERS ca. FNOYO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. n. C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR W. FOREMAN, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEWV YORK; JONATHAN FOREMAN, ADMINIS- TRATOR OF SAID EDGAR W. FOREMAN, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY B. SEARS.

DIVING-BELL.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 9,965, dated August 23, 1853.

To alt whom it may concern Be it known that EDGAR IV. FOREMAN, deceased, late of New Rochelle, in the county of estchester and State of New York, did invent certain new and useful Improvements in Diving-Bells or Submarine Vessels; and I, JONATHAN FOREMAN, administrator of said EDGAR IV. FOREMAN, deceased, do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact specification of said invention.

This invention is intended for efiecting exploration and other operations below the surface of water, and is in that respect analogous to other machines devised for the same purpose.

The nature of this invention consists in so combining with a reservoir of condensed or compressed air at the surface, and in connection with the diving chamber, an arrangevment of sliding blocks or movable pulleys attached to an anchor and the diving chamber that motion and direction may be given to the diving chamber.

The construction and operation is as follows: The diving chamber, is seen at A, is in shape that of the frusta of two cones joined at their bases. At the top is an opening by which the workman enters. It has a cover fitting air tight, which may be secured from within as shown at (a) Fig. The bottom also has a hole through it with a cover as seen at (6). Around the edge a rim sets up, a portion of which is seen at (c), the remainder being represented as broken out, to allow of the representation of other parts. The use of this rim is to retain within the vessel any object the explorers may take in through the bottom, also to keep in place the ballast which for convenience is arranged here forming a seat for the divers.

At (d) are a series of tanks arranged around the sides of the diving chamber; these are the air and water reservoirs for regulating the gravity of the chamber. Each tank is connected to the others by two sets of pipesthe one set at the top as shown at (e) and the other at the bottom as seen at (f). The upper pipe is for the supplying of air, and the lower one for water. The supply of air is obtained from a reservoir placed at surface, either on shore or supported by means of a boat or float, by means of a flexible tube extending from the diving chamber to said reservoir, as seen in Fig. l, where B is the reservoir. It is by filling the tanks ((5) with air or water, wholly or partially, that the buoyancy of A is re ulated.

(93 is a pipe to which the flexible air tube leading from the reservoir B is connected upon the outside. Inside one end terminates by a branch having a stop cock ((Z) into one of the tanks (d). The other end passes down near the bottom and discharges by another stop cook by which a supply of air may be afforded to one or more divers operating with armor exterior to the diving chamber, they regulating their own supply of air and obviating the necessity of a pump at surface in connection with the armor. There is also another discharge into A from a cock near the top at (9).

At (h) is a pipe for discharging air from the tanks (d). This has a stop cock in it and is besides covered by a valve of common construction on the outside and opening outward.

At is a pipe for emptying the tanks of water, this discharges outside also through the bottom, there being here a valve.

Each of the tanks may discharge by a separate pipe, if thought preferable; also, the air may likewise be introduced and discharged into the tanks by separate pipes, an arrangement which will sometimes be required, as the proper balancing of the vessel will depend upon it. The chamber is further supplied with an arrangement for anchoring it to the bottom of the river etc. for holding it in place or to afford the means of shifting its position. The anchor may be of common construction, it is attached by a cable (is) through a traversing sheave or block Us) and the end after passing over this, is taken in through a hole in the bottom and may be wound upon a windlass or other device. The block (70) fixed to an endless chain passes over two rollers, one near the bottom and the other near the middle of the diving chamber A, as shown in Fig. 1, the upper roller being fixed to a shaft which passes through A and terminates in a crank by which it can be turned around, this effects the traverse of the pulley (70) up and down, and in doing so changes the angle or direction of the pull upon the anchor, as seen. The various positions of the block (70) thus afford a means of regulating the degree of force with which the chamber is held down to the ground, for if the cable is adjusted to pull from the bottom of the chamber A it is evident it will exert little force in keeping it uponthe ground, on the contrary if the block (70) is raised up, it will by raising the point of attachment above the level of the anchor tend to hold the chamber down upon the ground.

At (Z) is a propelling rudder. This is a common screw, fixed upon a shaft passing through into A having a crank to revolve it, the box supporting the shaft is formed on the principle of a ball and socket joint, thus any direction may be given to the shaft, so that by it the chamber A may be propelled within a certain arc in various directions, the anchor forming the center point.

The flexible air tube is seen at C. It is so constructed as to be capable of being coiled up or uncoiled and without intermitting the passage of air, for this purpose it is combined with a hollow shaft reel, (m). The end aflixed to the reel opens in the hollow shaft, one end of which is stopped, the opposite end entering the reservoir B through a stuffing box at Thus the air may pass out of B through saidshaft, thence through the tube coiled upon it and thence discharged into A. By this means no more tube need be in the water than sufficient to reach the diving chamber.

The air reservoir B must be constructed of a material capable of sustaining a great degree of pressure.

The operation is as follows: The diving chamber floating upon the surface of the water is anchored so as to stand over the bed of the wreck or other object to be explored, as nearly as may be. The reservoir B is then charged by means of an air pump with as much air as may be necessary according to the depth to be attained. The flexible tube C is attached to A, the workmen enter with such tools as they require and the top is shut down and fastened. The tanks- (d) at first contain only air at the pressure of oneatmosphere, the cock in (it) is opened and also a cock in (f). This latter allows water to flow into the tanks, and force the air out which decreases the buoyancy of A so much that it sinks. As the chamber descends, the cock (9) is opened, so far as to allow a suificient amount of air to be sent in from the reservoir B to supply the inhalation, and also to counterbalance the pressure of the water outside forthe ascertaining of which proper gages may be employed. The specific gravity of the vessel, may be regulated for any depth of water it is to go to, by properly pro-portioning the water and air in the tanks (d) so that it may be held in suspension at any depth the operators may please; the up and down motions are thus effected. The traversing motion along the bottom is by means of the anchor and rudder. If the apparatus lies in a current it can be worked along it by means of the cable being wound or unwound within, while to go from side to side the propeller rudder is worked. As soon as the chamber is over the proper spot, the cover to the hole (1)) is taken off, the water being kept back by the pressure of air from within. The workmen can then operate. Light is admitted within the vessel by the insertion of heavy plate glass, or bulls-eyes in the top and sides. The buoyancy of A is to be such that on emptying the tanks of water and filling them with air it will rise to the surface with the additional weight of such articles as may have been taken from the bottom. As soon as it is desired to rise to the surface water is expelled from the tanks by the force of the air from the reservoir B, which is then admitted in at the top at ((Z) the water passing out by the bottom pipe (7") from which there is a communication with the outside between the cooks, and shown in Fig. l at The equality of pressure in the open part of the diving chamber will in ascending maintain itself for as the pressure is taken from the outside the air will escape from the bottom or through valves in the shell opening outward and which are provided for the purpose. The peculiarity and operation of this invention is, that by the combination of a reservoir of condensed air at the surface, in communication with the diving chamber and the traversing block, it is practicable at all times so to regulate the equilibrium of internal and external pressure and to control the movements of the bell that, 1st, exceedingly light and weak materials may be used in construction; 2, that the specific gravity of the diving chamber, through the medium of the compressed air as a motor, may be instantaneously changed, and either ascent or descent may be attained solely at the will of the operator within said chamber. The condensed air acting instantaneously, causes an expulsion of a certain desired amount of water, a correspondent buoyancy is thus effected, which may beabsorbed by a weight, say a stone to be transported to a designated spot. The power from the reservoir thus gives vertical movement to the machine and mass to be operated on, which upward motion may be checked at any moment, by properly working the air and water valves. The mass thus held in suspension, is now moved by the arrangement of anchors and cables, passing over the movable pulleys as described, the point of traction of the cable being regulated by the movable block, the desired spot being reached, by allowing the admission of water the mass or the machine itself will descend to the bottom; but not occupying the precisely desired spot by successive actions of the air valve, vertical and at same time horizontal movements may be effected until the machine, orsuspended mass, occupies the indicated spot. Difficulties arising from attempts at movement on an unequal bottom are obviated by the facility of acquiring these movements instantaneously. A very great facility also eXists from this combination of the reservoir as, compressed air and the diving chamber, of descending to great depths, inasmuch as the operator can descend gradually, at- Will assuming a greater pressure of air, and gradually accustoming himself to such increase, till very great depths may be attained both With safety and comfort.

that is claimed as the invention of the said FOREMAN and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is,

The combination of the reservoir of compressed air at the surface, in connection With the diving chamber or bell, and the arrangement of the movable block or pulley as herein described, whereby the chamber or bell may be moved and directed at the Will of the operator Within for the purpose above set forth.

JONATHAN FOREMAN, Administrator of the estate of Edgar W.

Foreman, deceased.

Witnesses:

ALEXANDER Loeon, I. GEORGE ILLIZ. 

